Jessie Andrews Reveals How Instagram Led To Her Role In ‘Euphoria’s Pivotal Fifth Episode

Dirk Mai

Jessie Andrews starred alongside Zendaya in the fifth episode of ‘Euphoria’ season 2. HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Jessie about how connecting with showrunner Sam Levinson led to her role and more.

The February 6 episode of Euphoria was one of the show’s best episodes yet. Rue went on the run after her mother, Jules, Elliot, and more tried to stage an intervention with her. Rue began going through withdrawals because her mother got rid of all her drugs. At one point, Rue broke into someone’s house to steal some jewelry.

Jessie Andrews played the woman who realized she’d been robbed by Rue. She noticed some jewelry was missing and told her significant other to grab their gun. Rue was hiding under their bed and made a quick escape. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Jessie about how she found herself in the Euphoria universe — it actually all started on Instagram.

“I had watched the series and loved it. I think the way people interact on the internet now is amazing because you can network with people that are massive directors or writers,” Jessie told HollywoodLife. “There’s a way to connect with them. You could have 100 followers and be able to reach me, and I think that’s so amazing about social media. That’s kind of how I found Sam [Levinson], the writer. I just sent him a message and followed him. He has like 700 followers and I was like, ‘Hey, this series is amazing. I just wanted to tell you that I loved it.’ That’s it. And then we just talked over the years just going over random stuff. He’s like, ‘I see you’re doing gallery. That’s amazing.’ I was like, ‘Whenever you do season 2, let me know.’ I knew a bunch of friends that were doing casting and he was like, ‘I want you to go read for this role.’ I found out it was a recurring role halfway through the season, and I wasn’t right for the role. They wanted somebody a bit older. When they were shooting he just texted me one day and was like ‘Hey, do you want to do a part? Come in tomorrow.’ Another friend of his Alan, who is a writer, him and I are leaving our house and Rue pretty much comes in our house. We catch her robbing us and she runs out in episode 5. I just found him through Instagram.”

Jessie didn’t realize how “massive” a production Euphoria is until she stepped on set. “I was really amazed at how big of a production it was and that they were shooting all film. It was really unreal. Because I mean, when you watch it, you don’t really understand how many people are involved but there had to be at least 50 people there,” she noted.

Jessie, who is a photographer, loves how the HBO series sets itself apart with its unique approach to artwork. The show’s second season was also filmed entirely on Kodak Ektachrome film.

“It’s a mood all around,” Jessie said. “I feel like the whole series relates to a lot of people in a lot of different ways, but especially the younger generation. You’re in those settings, at those parties, you have this drama, you use the internet. It’s all so real and to see it in a more cinematic way rather than through Instagram or iPhone images, I feel like it it really shows the actual mood that everybody’s in. For Kodak to go and remake this film that they really wanted to shoot on because he was saying, in the beginning, they didn’t let him shoot film. They were like, ‘It’s too expensive. It’s just not going to happen.’ And then he was like, ‘When we were doing season 2, I had to shoot film. It was my non-negotiable in a way.’ It just made such a difference. It’s just so different and so much more moody and vibrant. It is just creating a whole different mood for this second season, which is so stunning and totally unexpected. I think it’s incredible to be using film in such a massive TV show like this so beautifully.”

The actress, entrepreneur, and model is always working on a variety of “different projects.” She continued, “Every day is kind of different. Like today, I did Pilates with two of my best friends, and then I went and did some work at home and read a script for a short film in Van Nuys. Then I went back home, got my stuff, went downtown to another person’s studio, shot some pictures, and went to my boyfriend’s painting studio so he could take some digitals of me to send. I’m just all over the place. Every day is kind of different for me, but the big things that are going to happen this year. After Euphoria comes out, a lot more acting opportunities will come I think, and hopefully the short film that I read for today… They’ve been talking to me for a long time about it, and they really want me to do it. It was just a matter of me coming in, reading it, and being on tape for them to send to the executive producers. So more films and then just brand ambassadorship, a lot of magazines. I’m doing the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Serbia, which comes out in February. There are so many people that I’ve wanted to work with over the years, and it hasn’t been the right time. I feel like now is coming to be that right time. I’m excited about everything that’s coming and then Fashion Week will be happening, so lots of fun runway to walk with friends. It’s going to be a really fun year.”